LC 2.21 Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act (Statute)

[Former President tack50]

Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

A bill to encourage the usage of electic cars by encouraging the construction of electric car chargers and giving them other advantages

SECTION I: Name
1. This law shall be known as the "Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act."

SECTION II: Definitions
1. For the purposes of this act a DC fast charger shall be understood as an electric car charger capable of delivering at least 45 kW of power and being able to give a standard electric car at least 96 km (60 miles) of range in under 25 minutes.
2. A major reform shall be understood as a reform or expansion construction project to an existing parking lot with an estimated construction cost of at least 1 million dollars.

SECTION III: Regulations
1. All newly constructed parking lots with a planned capacity of over 100 cars, shall have at least 5 DC fast chargers for electric cars, for every 100 parking spots
2. All major reforms to existing parking lots shall include the installation of at least 5 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots.
3. All parking lots in Lincoln must include at least 15 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots by the end of the year 2033
4. All electric vehicles shall be exempt from paying any tolls in the region or Lincoln. All hybrid vehicles shall get a 50% discount on all tolls in the region.
5. All electric vehicles shall be allowed to drive in regulated bus lanes and other special designated fast lanes. Municipalities may limit this right to only electric vehicles that have at least a certain number of passengers on board.

SECTION IV: Timing
1. This act shall take effect 3 months after passage.
2. This act shall not affect currently ongoing construction projects or reforms.

[/quote]

Sponsor: tack50

Debate time for this bill has started and shall last for no less than 72 hours

[Former President tack50]

Ok, this is pretty much the same bill I introduced back on my first elected position in the Southern Chamber of Delegates. That bill passed the CoD, but was vetoed by then governor tmth, and I decided not to bother with a veto override as the numbers weren't there (I think it was one of extremely few party line votes in my term as delegate)

Let's just hope this bill sees more success with Peanut

For the record this is mostly the unammended bill as the amendment was an attempt at compromise for the most part (though it still includes the definition of "major reform"). Come to think about it, 1 million dollars is probably a bit too high for a threshold tbh. I also decided to add 2 extra points in III.4 and III.5; both encouraged to further extend the use of electric vehicles.

Here's the Southern Debate thread for reference: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=309569.0

[Former President tack50]

I like this, especially since one of my main oppositions to electric cars, is too fee charging stations.


It is very pricey, however, and we need a way to pay for it, WITHOUT RAISING TAXES!!!

Also iffy, on the toll discount, but it's not a deal breaker

Uh, no provisions of this act actually require any government spending to my knowledge. In fact the only one that could arguably affect government spending is the toll reduction/abolition act, depending on how much funding the government gets from tolls

[Former President tack50]

Idk about the bus lanes thing, since those lanes were made with the intent of being for buses. This is especially bad in a city with a BRT system, such as Grand Rapids, which relies on buses having a dedicated lane in order for it to work.

Yeah, come to think about it, that might be a bad idea depending on city. Not all bus lanes are created equal and BRT systems would be heavily affected. I did want to give them an advantage for rush hour, but I guess the toll reduction will have to do.

[Former President tack50]

Amendment L 2:34 by tack50 to LC 2.21 Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

A bill to encourage the usage of electic cars by encouraging the construction of electric car chargers and giving them other advantages

SECTION I: Name
1. This law shall be known as the "Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act."

SECTION II: Definitions
1. For the purposes of this act a DC fast charger shall be understood as an electric car charger capable of delivering at least 45 kW of power and being able to give a standard electric car at least 96 km (60 miles) of range in under 25 minutes.
2. A major reform shall be understood as a reform or expansion construction project to an existing parking lot with an estimated construction cost of at least 1 million dollars.

SECTION III: Regulations
1. All newly constructed parking lots with a planned capacity of over 100 cars, shall have at least 5 DC fast chargers for electric cars, for every 100 parking spots
2. All major reforms to existing parking lots shall include the installation of at least 5 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots.
3. All parking lots in Lincoln must include at least 15 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots by the end of the year 2033
4. All electric vehicles shall be exempt from paying any tolls in the region or Lincoln. All hybrid vehicles shall get a 50% discount on all tolls in the region.
5. All electric vehicles shall be allowed to drive in regulated bus lanes and other special designated fast lanes. Municipalities Local governments may limit this right to only electric vehicles that have at least a certain number of passengers on board, or forbid it entirely if needed for the proper functioning of their local public transportation networks.

SECTION IV: Timing
1. This act shall take effect 3 months after passage.
2. This act shall not affect currently ongoing construction projects or reforms.

Sponsor feedback: Origination
Status: Added to the bill

Here is my attempt at trying to fix Ninja's concerns. I decided to still keep it, but give municipalities the right to restrict it if they need it for the proper functioning of their transit networks

[Former President tack50]

Where will the $1 million come from

Uh, from nowhere. That only means that if you have a Parking Lot and are planning a reform with construction costs over 1 million $, you have to install electric chargers. Since it's a expensive reform or renovation already, the cost of installing electric chargers is negligible

[Former President tack50]

This looks promising and provides smart fixes to assist in the growth of electric vehicles.

Mr. Speaker, would you be in favor of an amendment subsidizing (or rather, discounting) electric cars for individuals with a gross income under $100K? I feel as though if we are tackling the need to decrease Lincoln's dependency on gasoline-powered vehicles, it may be in our best interest to recognize and seek to address the high retail cost of these vehicles: a facet that I'd assume has deterred a great many from purchasing clean-air cars.

Yes, that is an excellent ammendment! I have no problems with that.

Back when I originally wrote this, I had to make a more moderate bill and part of that included making it cost-free for the government. That amendment would mean actual government spending but it's for a good cause in my opinion.

[Former President tack50]

As per usual, I'll start with the amendments in the order they were introduced. Which means SNJC's amendment will be the one introduced by SNJC.

And the amendment is unfriendly. While I do not agree with making most/all tolls free like others have proposed on other bills; I do think giving electric cars a free pass on tolls is a great idea. We should give electric cars advantages on driving to incentivice their usage, and free tolls is an excellent idea. Furthermore, I also don't like the idea of giving hybrids the same discount as electric cars.

Amendment L 2:35 by S019 to LC 2.21 Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

A bill to encourage the usage of electic cars by encouraging the construction of electric car chargers and giving them other advantages

SECTION I: Name
1. This law shall be known as the "Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act."

SECTION II: Definitions
1. For the purposes of this act a DC fast charger shall be understood as an electric car charger capable of delivering at least 45 kW of power and being able to give a standard electric car at least 96 km (60 miles) of range in under 25 minutes.
2. A major reform shall be understood as a reform or expansion construction project to an existing parking lot with an estimated construction cost of at least 1 million dollars.

SECTION III: Regulations
1. All newly constructed parking lots with a planned capacity of over 100 cars, shall have at least 5 DC fast chargers for electric cars, for every 100 parking spots
2. All major reforms to existing parking lots shall include the installation of at least 5 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots.
3. All parking lots in Lincoln must include at least 15 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots by the end of the year 2033
4. All electric vehicles shall be exempt from paying any tolls in the region or Lincoln. All and hybrid vehicles shall get a 50% 43%discount on all tolls in the region.
5. All electric vehicles shall be allowed to drive in regulated bus lanes and other special designated fast lanes. Local government may limit this right to only electric vehicles that have at least a certain number of passengers on board, or forbid it entirely if needed for the proper functioning of their local public transportation networks.

SECTION IV: Timing
1. This act shall take effect 3 months after passage.
2. This act shall not affect currently ongoing construction projects or reforms.

[/quote]

Sponsor feedback: Hostile
Status: 24h for debate, after which a vote will be opened

[Former President tack50]

I'll take my free golf cart. I love the fact that communists now are supporting the favorite pass time of the rich.

Well, as long as you commute by golf cart to work/school I am fine with that

A nation of golf carts would certainly pollute less I guess.

Now seriously, Pyro's amendment does cap the tax credit to people under 100 000$ in income (which is still plenty, but the credit should be as widespread as possible) and you would also need to wonder whether golf carts qualify as a vehicle in the first place.

[Former President tack50]

Councillors, a vote on the following amendment has started:

Amendment L 2:35 by S019 to LC 2.21 Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

A bill to encourage the usage of electic cars by encouraging the construction of electric car chargers and giving them other advantages

SECTION I: Name
1. This law shall be known as the "Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act."

SECTION II: Definitions
1. For the purposes of this act a DC fast charger shall be understood as an electric car charger capable of delivering at least 45 kW of power and being able to give a standard electric car at least 96 km (60 miles) of range in under 25 minutes.
2. A major reform shall be understood as a reform or expansion construction project to an existing parking lot with an estimated construction cost of at least 1 million dollars.

SECTION III: Regulations
1. All newly constructed parking lots with a planned capacity of over 100 cars, shall have at least 5 DC fast chargers for electric cars, for every 100 parking spots
2. All major reforms to existing parking lots shall include the installation of at least 5 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots.
3. All parking lots in Lincoln must include at least 15 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots by the end of the year 2033
4. All electric vehicles shall be exempt from paying any tolls in the region or Lincoln. All and hybrid vehicles shall get a 50% 43%discount on all tolls in the region.
5. All electric vehicles shall be allowed to drive in regulated bus lanes and other special designated fast lanes. Local government may limit this right to only electric vehicles that have at least a certain number of passengers on board, or forbid it entirely if needed for the proper functioning of their local public transportation networks.

SECTION IV: Timing
1. This act shall take effect 3 months after passage.
2. This act shall not affect currently ongoing construction projects or reforms.

[/quote]

Please vote AYE, NAY or Abstain
This vote shall last for 24h or until all Councillors have voted

[Former President tack50]

Nay

[Former President tack50]

The vote on Amendment L 2:35 by S019 to LC 2.21 Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act is now closed

Aye: 1 (SNJC)
Abstain: 3 (Ninja, thr33, lfromnj)
Nay: 4 (tack50, Dipper Josh, Pyro, Griffin)
Not voting: 1 (Zaybay)

So this amendment is rejected

[Former President tack50]

We now come to the following amendment

Amendment L 2:38 by Pyro to LC 2.21 Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

A bill to encourage the usage of electic cars by encouraging the construction of electric car chargers and giving them other advantages

SECTION I: Name
1. This law shall be known as the "Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act."

SECTION II: Definitions
1. For the purposes of this act a DC fast charger shall be understood as an electric car charger capable of delivering at least 45 kW of power and being able to give a standard electric car at least 96 km (60 miles) of range in under 25 minutes.
2. A major reform shall be understood as a reform or expansion construction project to an existing parking lot with an estimated construction cost of at least 1 million dollars.

SECTION III: Regulations
1. All newly constructed parking lots with a planned capacity of over 100 cars, shall have at least 5 DC fast chargers for electric cars, for every 100 parking spots
2. All major reforms to existing parking lots shall include the installation of at least 5 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots.
3. All parking lots in Lincoln must include at least 15 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots by the end of the year 2033
4. All electric vehicles shall be exempt from paying any tolls in the region or Lincoln. All hybrid vehicles shall get a 50% discount on all tolls in the region.
5. All electric vehicles shall be allowed to drive in regulated bus lanes and other special designated fast lanes. Local governments may limit this right to only electric vehicles that have at least a certain number of passengers on board, or forbid it entirely if needed for the proper functioning of their local public transportation networks.
6. All electric vehicles shall be eligible for a discounted vehicle registration fee. The discount shall be no less than 25% of the total cost of registration.
7. As of March 2020, owners of electric vehicles shall be eligible for the Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit. This regional tax credit shall be no less than $4,000 and no more than $10,000 per new electric vehicle, with variation dependent on the vehicle purchased. This credit shall not apply to any individual with a gross income above $100,000.

SECTION IV: Timing
1. This act shall take effect 3 months after passage.
2. This act shall not affect currently ongoing construction projects or reforms.

Sponsor Feedback: Friendly
Status: Added to the bill

This is a great amendment which whill most certainly increase the popularity of electric vehicles

[Former President tack50]

I present the following amendment, in order to tighten the requirements slightly

Amendment L 2:40 by tack50 to LC 2.21 Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

A bill to encourage the usage of electic cars by encouraging the construction of electric car chargers and giving them other advantages

SECTION I: Name
1. This law shall be known as the "Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act."

SECTION II: Definitions
1. For the purposes of this act a DC fast charger shall be understood as an electric car charger capable of delivering at least 45 kW of power and being able to give a standard electric car at least 96 km (60 miles) of range in under 25 minutes.
2. A major reform shall be understood as a reform or expansion construction project to an existing parking lot with an estimated construction cost of at least 1 million 300 000 dollars.

SECTION III: Regulations
1. All newly constructed parking lots with a planned capacity of over 100 70 cars, shall have at least 5 DC fast chargers for electric cars, for every 100 parking spots
2. All major reforms to existing parking lots shall include the installation of at least 5 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots.
3. All parking lots in Lincoln must include at least 15 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots by the end of the year 2033
4. All electric vehicles shall be exempt from paying any tolls in the region or Lincoln. All hybrid vehicles shall get a 50% discount on all tolls in the region.
5. All electric vehicles shall be allowed to drive in regulated bus lanes and other special designated fast lanes. Local governments may limit this right to only electric vehicles that have at least a certain number of passengers on board, or forbid it entirely if needed for the proper functioning of their local public transportation networks.
6. All electric vehicles shall be eligible for a discounted vehicle registration fee. The discount shall be no less than 25% of the total cost of registration.
7. As of March 2020, owners of electric vehicles shall be eligible for the Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit. This regional tax credit shall be no less than $4,000 and no more than $10,000 per new electric vehicle, with variation dependent on the vehicle purchased. This credit shall not apply to any individual with a gross income above $100,000.

SECTION IV: Timing
1. This act shall take effect 3 months after passage on October 1st, 2019.
2. This act shall not affect currently ongoing construction projects or reforms.

Sponsor Feedback: Origination
Status: Added to the bill

[Former President tack50]

The amendment is unfriendly. Why should we give rich people tax credits? 100 000$ in individual income puts you well into the upper class, 13% of Atlasians earn more than 100 000$ in individual income.

https://dqydj.com/income-percentile-calculator/

Amendment L 2:42 by S019 to LC 2.21 Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

A bill to encourage the usage of electic cars by encouraging the construction of electric car chargers and giving them other advantages

SECTION I: Name
1. This law shall be known as the "Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act."

SECTION II: Definitions
1. For the purposes of this act a DC fast charger shall be understood as an electric car charger capable of delivering at least 45 kW of power and being able to give a standard electric car at least 96 km (60 miles) of range in under 25 minutes.
2. A major reform shall be understood as a reform or expansion construction project to an existing parking lot with an estimated construction cost of at least 1 million 300 000 dollars.

SECTION III: Regulations
1. All newly constructed parking lots with a planned capacity of over 100 70 cars, shall have at least 5 DC fast chargers for electric cars, for every 100 parking spots
2. All major reforms to existing parking lots shall include the installation of at least 5 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots.
3. All parking lots in Lincoln must include at least 15 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots by the end of the year 2033
4. All electric vehicles shall be exempt from paying any tolls in the region or Lincoln. All hybrid vehicles shall get a 50% discount on all tolls in the region.
5. All electric vehicles shall be allowed to drive in regulated bus lanes and other special designated fast lanes. Local governments may limit this right to only electric vehicles that have at least a certain number of passengers on board, or forbid it entirely if needed for the proper functioning of their local public transportation networks.
6. All electric vehicles shall be eligible for a discounted vehicle registration fee. The discount shall be no less than 25% of the total cost of registration.
7. As of March 2020, owners of electric vehicles shall be eligible for the Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit. This regional tax credit shall be no less than $4,000 and no more than $10,000 per new electric vehicle, with variation dependent on the vehicle purchased. This credit shall not apply to any individual with a gross income above $100,000. $300,000

SECTION IV: Timing
1. This act shall take effect 3 months after passage on October 1st, 2019.
2. This act shall not affect currently ongoing construction projects or reforms.

Sponsor Feedback: Hostile
Status: 24h for debate after which a vote shall be opened

[Former President tack50]

Councillors, a vote is now open on the following amendment

Amendment L 2:42 by S019 to LC 2.21 Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

A bill to encourage the usage of electic cars by encouraging the construction of electric car chargers and giving them other advantages

SECTION I: Name
1. This law shall be known as the "Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act."

SECTION II: Definitions
1. For the purposes of this act a DC fast charger shall be understood as an electric car charger capable of delivering at least 45 kW of power and being able to give a standard electric car at least 96 km (60 miles) of range in under 25 minutes.
2. A major reform shall be understood as a reform or expansion construction project to an existing parking lot with an estimated construction cost of at least 300 000 dollars.

SECTION III: Regulations
1. All newly constructed parking lots with a planned capacity of over 70 cars, shall have at least 5 DC fast chargers for electric cars, for every 100 parking spots
2. All major reforms to existing parking lots shall include the installation of at least 5 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots.
3. All parking lots in Lincoln must include at least 15 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots by the end of the year 2033
4. All electric vehicles shall be exempt from paying any tolls in the region or Lincoln. All hybrid vehicles shall get a 50% discount on all tolls in the region.
5. All electric vehicles shall be allowed to drive in regulated bus lanes and other special designated fast lanes. Local governments may limit this right to only electric vehicles that have at least a certain number of passengers on board, or forbid it entirely if needed for the proper functioning of their local public transportation networks.
6. All electric vehicles shall be eligible for a discounted vehicle registration fee. The discount shall be no less than 25% of the total cost of registration.
7. As of March 2020, owners of electric vehicles shall be eligible for the Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit. This regional tax credit shall be no less than $4,000 and no more than $10,000 per new electric vehicle, with variation dependent on the vehicle purchased. This credit shall not apply to any individual with a gross income above $100,000. $300,000

SECTION IV: Timing
1. This act shall take effect on October 1st, 2019.
2. This act shall not affect currently ongoing construction projects or reforms.

Please vote AYE, NAY or Abstain
This vote shall last for 24 hours or until all Councillors have voted

[Former President tack50]

Nay

[Former President tack50]

The vote on Amendment L 2:42 by S019 to LC 2.21 Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act is now closed

Aye: 1 (SNJC)
Abstain: 1 (lfromnj)
Nay: 6 (tack50, Pyro, Ninja, thr33, Dipper Josh, Griffin)
Not voting: 1 (Zaybay)

So the amendment is rejected

[Former President tack50]

Councillors a FINAL vote is now open on the following legislation

Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act

A bill to encourage the usage of electic cars by encouraging the construction of electric car chargers and giving them other advantages

SECTION I: Name
1. This law shall be known as the "Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act."

SECTION II: Definitions
1. For the purposes of this act a DC fast charger shall be understood as an electric car charger capable of delivering at least 45 kW of power and being able to give a standard electric car at least 96 km (60 miles) of range in under 25 minutes.
2. A major reform shall be understood as a reform or expansion construction project to an existing parking lot with an estimated construction cost of at least 300 000 dollars.

SECTION III: Regulations
1. All newly constructed parking lots with a planned capacity of over 70 cars, shall have at least 5 DC fast chargers for electric cars, for every 100 parking spots
2. All major reforms to existing parking lots shall include the installation of at least 5 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots.
3. All parking lots in Lincoln must include at least 15 electric car chargers for every 100 parking spots by the end of the year 2033
4. All electric vehicles shall be exempt from paying any tolls in the region or Lincoln. All hybrid vehicles shall get a 50% discount on all tolls in the region.
5. All electric vehicles shall be allowed to drive in regulated bus lanes and other special designated fast lanes. Local governments may limit this right to only electric vehicles that have at least a certain number of passengers on board, or forbid it entirely if needed for the proper functioning of their local public transportation networks.
6. All electric vehicles shall be eligible for a discounted vehicle registration fee. The discount shall be no less than 25% of the total cost of registration.
7. As of March 2020, owners of electric vehicles shall be eligible for the Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit. This regional tax credit shall be no less than $4,000 and no more than $10,000 per new electric vehicle, with variation dependent on the vehicle purchased. This credit shall not apply to any individual with a gross income above $100,000.

SECTION IV: Timing
1. This act shall take effect on October 1st, 2019.
2. This act shall not affect currently ongoing construction projects or reforms.

Please vote AYE, NAY or Abstain
This vote shall last for 48 hours or until all Councillors have voted.

[Former President tack50]

Aye

[Former President tack50]

As all Councillors have voted:

The FINAL vote on LC 2.21 Electric Car Chargers & General Encouragement Act is now closed

Aye: 7 (SNJC, Pyro, tack50, Dipper Josh, Zaybay, Griffin, Ninja)
Abstain: 0
Nay: 2 (thr33, lfromnj)
Not voting: 0

So this bill passes

[Former President tack50]

Come to think about it, we might need some cost analysis for this bill. While we wait for official GM numbers, I'll do the laziest analysis ever to get a rough reference

III.7 doesn't apply until 2020 so the cost there is 0 this year.

III.6:

According to this article, 350 000 electric vehicles will be sold in the US in 2020. However most seem to be in California (which alone has 46% marketshare!). Still, let's assume new sales are divided equally among all 3 regions to be safe. That means 116667 electric vehicles sold in Lincoln. We'll round that up to 125 000.

According to this other article Illinois proposed a 1000$ registration fee for electric vehicles but this seems an exception and a weird hike. The old price was $17.50, so let's take the sensible number instead.

This all adds up to $2 041 667 in extra costs. So overall small. Take this estimate with a huge grain of salt, but it's something we might be able to ignore or will add up to like 0.01bn at worst.

III.4: This one would actually require a lot more complicated analysis. So instead I'll just get around by lazily designing a loophole. Let's just say the toll operators will be required to handle the lost revenue by themselves.

I imagine overall this requires some sort of increase to the transportation budget in order to indirectly fund this though.

The rest of the bill doesn't require any cost analysis.